Easy Steps to Overcome Procrastination and Achieve Your Goals

I’ll start my business this year, I’ll start writing my business plan next week, I’ll start my diet on Monday, I’ll follow-up on that new lead next week… and unfortunately we sometimes never get round to it and miss out on fantastic opportunities, or come next year, we are still struggling with the same goals.

Procrastination is one thing we can all easily fall prey to, but what differentiates each of us, as well highly successful people is our ability to overcome procrastination in order to achieve our goals. While it may be easier said than done, those who choose to be motivated and complete necessary tasks are those who are able to see results and move ahead onto bigger goals and aspirations. Here are five easy steps you can take to help you overcome procrastination.

1. Know Your ‘Why’

I love the story John Maxwell shares in his book ‘15 Invaluable Laws of Growth’. While a salesman looks out of the hotel restaurant window, he asks the waiter if he thinks the roads will be clear enough to travel the next morning. And the waiter responds, “Depends on if you are on salary or commission”. The first step to achieving your goals and overcoming that lethargic feel of procrastination is having a strong ‘WHY’; one that is worth fighting for and motivates you whenever you see yourself beginning to procrastinate.

2. Dive Right In

We often procrastinate because we fear that a task will take too long, or that we don’t have the skills to complete it successfully, or that we’ll magically find the time later to finish it. Oftentimes the best way to put a stop to procrastination is to stop thinking and simply dive right in. Once you get started, you’ll begin to figure out how to complete the task i.e. necessary steps or resources required, otherwise it’ll remain untouched, unfinished, and continue to be a roadblock to your success.

3. Learn Proper Goal Setting

Writing down a list of the top things you’d like to get done this year is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to goal setting. Goals should be broken down into:

Overall goal > Monthly goals > Weekly goals > Daily goals

By breaking your goals into smaller and more specific steps, you increase the likelihood of them being completed. Also ensure your goals are time-framed, giving yourself specific target dates to complete tasks by.

4. Get Your Motivation Going

For many, once we have our strong ‘WHY’ in front of us, as well as see how easily a big goal can be broken down into manageable bite sized pieces, we feel less overwhelmed and more motivated. However, if you still struggling with driving yourself to get things done, analyse how procrastination is preventing you from reaching personal and professional success; make two lists of the pros and cons, listing all the drawbacks of procrastination that you can think of, and then list the benefits. This should remind you how much procrastination is holding you back. If necessary, tack that list up somewhere visible to remind yourself.

5. Practice Good Time Management

Getting things done is largely about properly managing your time. Not sure if you’re a big time waster? Then do this: spend one week writing down how you’re spending your time from the moment you get up to the minute you go to bed. Chances are you’ll be shocked by how much time you’ve allowed to go to waste.

BONUS: By reviewing how you’re spending your time, you’ll likely find that there are tasks that you can delegate or outsource to others, or tasks that you can stop doing completely to free up more of your time. Here is a piece I wrote on how to delegate effectively.

Yesterday you said tomorrow, today is the day! Start doing.

Want to identify what may be stopping from achieving yours and find strategies you can implement to get you started? Attend our free and complimentary webinar on July 3rdClick here to sign up for the webinar

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